
<p>Kennedy clan? ; That is something that has not been part of the political lexicon for a generation or two. ; Seeing so many of them on stage, the most striking impression was how few are known to the public. ; I would say &#8230; oh &#8230; maybe &#8230; none. ; There were no household names among those who gathered on stage with President Biden – no prominent politicians or prospects. ; As a “political family” they seem more like the Roosevelts and the Bushes – political clans remembered more in terms of history than current events. ;</p>



<p>In fact, they would have remained in the shadow of modern life were it not for one of them, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., deciding to run for President of the United States. ; The Kennedy clan gathered in the spotlight not to give a kith and kin endorsement to their own, but to give it to his opponent, President Biden. ;</p>



<p>Unlike the old days, RFK. Jr. was not the heir apparent – the next in line to naturally assume high office and the presidency. ; The last opportunity for a Kennedy clan President died when Senator Ted Kennedy drove off the Chappaquiddick bridge, killing a young intern named Mary Jo Kopechne. ; A few of the progeny held lesser offices and others failed in such bids. ; They ; then vanished from the political firmament like the last few sparks of Fourth of July fireworks.</p>



<p>When RFK, Jr. announced his plans to run for President, he was well aware of his lack of support among his family members. ; He said he respected their decision. He was particularly careful not to run on the legacy of his Uncle Jack or his dad. ;</p>



<p>Allowing the family’s unhappiness with RFK, Jr. to seep out in sidebar news stories was not enough for the clan. ; Rather they decided to gather together and officially endorse Biden. ;</p>



<p>The endorsement oratory had the ring of a convention nominating speeches wrapped in allusions and reminiscences of the political Camelot of 60 years past. ; The effort was led by Kerry Kennedy – the younger sister of RFK, Jr., who appears to have the same speech affliction as her brother.</p>



<p>So it is that RFK, Jr. makes a run for President of the United States. ; Not by picking up the mantle of the Kennedy clan, but in defiance to it. ; He is not running as a Democrat, but against the Democrat in the race. ; His prospect of becoming President is miniscule compared to Jack, Bobby and Teddy in their moments of ascendency.</p>



<p>But RFK, Jr. is having an impact &#8212; and this is why the clan gathered.  ;By all measures, RFK, Jr. is taking votes away from Biden. ; I suspect that is even more evident in Biden’s internal campaign polling. ; That would explain the amount of money and effort the Biden campaign has been spending on trying to knock RFK, Jr. off state ballots &#8230; trying to undermine his candidacy among voters &#8230; and why the family endorsement of Biden was put on the center stage.</p>



<p>In terms of political imagery, the gathering of the Kennedy clan appeared more like a reunion of the Addams Family – and I am not referring to John and John Quincy. (And yes, I know the names are not spelled the same.) ; They are a thing of the past.</p>



<p>For his part, Biden tied himself to the Kennedy legacy – claiming that it was Bobby Kennedy’s words in the 1960s that inspired him to public office. ; (Personally, I think that is pure political malarky from the master of political malarky,)  ;On the back side, that also alluded to Biden’s age and just how long the man has been on the public payroll.</p>



<p>The most relevant question is: Will the endorsement make a difference?</p>



<p>I think not. ; Most of the younger voters whom Biden needs to reach have little memory – and even less interest – in the opinion of ancestors of ancient history figures. ; In my opinion, JFK, Jr. is not garnering between 10 and 20 percent of the voters in various states because he is the son of Senator Robert F. Kennedy. ; He is winning votes because he is an interesting alternative to two widely disliked candidates – and addresses issues the two major contenders dare not raise. ; In another time, RFK, Jr. could have been a credible candidate. ; But for now, he is the lightning rod for disaffected voters – and there are a lot of them in this election cycle.</p>



<p>In terms of impact – to quote Shakespear – the endorsement was “all sound and fury, signifying nothing.”</p>



<p>So, there ‘tis.</p>

Kennedy clan dumps on one of theirs
